Night Fae (Dark Fae Kings #3) - Meg Xuemei X. Page 0,21
even. I took her to my bed, parading and calling her my beloved in my court, knowing she was your creature whom you’d planted in my court all along. I let you take her back. I let you believe she meant everything to me. I even practiced celibacy at your demand and gave you the idea that I was holding out for my ‘beloved’ Catlin. I also dangled the hope in front of you that one day I’d cave in to you and all your disgusting desires. But I only did all these things to protect my true mate who I foresaw coming.” He laughed again cruelly. “How does it feel to finally hear the truth, Brigantia?”
She responded with her foul power—obviously she didn’t take it well—and the Night King assailed her with his wave of starlight. As the two forces collided, the ground cracked and trembled beneath them. At the same time, Baron’s sunbeam seared into Brigantia’s shield.
“Even if and when death comes for me, you won’t breach the borders of the Nightmare Court,” Rydstrom said. “My court belongs to Ileana, my mate and my queen.”
My throat tightened. I wouldn’t let death near my kings. I forbade it!
“And Summer Court stands the same,” Baron said, his eyes glowing molten gold as another sunbeam blasted toward my evil sister. “Ileana Evelina is my only queen.”
What? Why did they declare something like that right now? Fear shot into my bloodstream. This wasn’t a goodbye speech! Something bad was meant to happen. I dashed toward them. I should have been fighting beside my kings.
“You still haven’t truly seen me,” Brigantia said. “You won’t insult me again after I open your eyes. I’m beyond the faerie courts. I’m a goddess, and you’ll all be mine and no one else’s.” She lifted her chin toward me. “That creature you think is your mate is nothing. She’s insignificant and unremarkable compared to me. Now, behold my goddess form!”
Shadow fire blended with black magic and Dawn light, more powerful than anything I could muster, erupted out of Brigantia. The force blasted both Rydstrom and Baron off their feet, sending them flying back. Both kings twisted in the air, and I sent my vines to grab them, but none of us was quick enough this time. The coalescence of the queen’s rage and black power proved to be a terrible thing.
Rydstrom crashed into the sidewall, cracking it, and debris fell on his head. Baron collided with the long bar, breaking it.
Black magic suffused the air, dominating the hall. The battles all around halted. The air turned too solid and foul to breathe. Brigantia was pushing pain into everyone’s heads. The warriors dropped to their knees, gagging and clawing at their chests.
The foul power pressed on my chest like the dead weight of a truck, but I’d learned Brigantia’s trick and prepared this time. I shrugged it off with obvious effort.
Brigantia lashed out with her hybrid black power, striking at my kings when they were down, before I could rush to their aid. My vines sprouted up from the ground, their thorny shoots slashing into Brigantia like dark flashes. Brigantia countered my attack with a gust of purple wind and ruptured my vines. Her black shadow fire charged out of her and burned through my plants.
A jumble of my barbed vines prevailed, coiling around her, cutting into her skin and leaving a bloody trail across her cheeks. Brigantia bellowed, her magic whizzing toward me and sinking its venomous claws into my skin.
I swallowed back a muffled scream at the pain.
My vines withered at the onslaught of her power. The queen’s dark spell speared me. It felt as if a burning knife was peeling the flesh off my bones. I couldn’t help but scream in agony, and my kings roared my name in rage and panic as they charged toward Brigantia with all they had.
My parents shouted my name, but they couldn’t reach me either, as Brigantia’s creatures were assailing them and our allies.
I struggled to my feet.
Brigantia flashed me a sadistic smile before snagging her attention back to the kings. She threw up her hand, shouting out incantations, and black magic, stronger than a tidal wave, tore into my kings.
“Now, Baron!” Rydstrom shouted.
Clenching their teeth and pushing back the ripping pain and the dark force, Baron and Rydstrom leapt toward each other. Their hands clasped, their combined powers forming a twisting storm.
The wind lifted them into the air, and their eyes glowed with terrifying light.